Thousands to benefit from improved access to schools, hospitals, towns and markets with climate resilient roads

The Road Climate Resilience Project for Timor-Leste is working to deliver climate resilient road infrastructure to communities between Dili-Ainaro and ensure roads are better protected against natural disasters. Reduced road closures will allow improved access to local and regional markets and towns. Additional Financing for the project will upgrade additional road segments linked to the Dili-Ainaro corridor.

Due to geographical conditions, the road link between the south and north of the country is often not accessible, especially during periods of heavy rain when landslides and flooding are common. The Dili – Ainaro road is a vital link connecting Dili, Aileu, and Ainaro, districts where the population is mostly farmers. Managing the risks of erosion and improving drainage remains a challenge. In order to ensure that the roads can withstand rain and flooding, the technicians have conducted several studies along the road to ensure that the best possible road will be built to benefit the Timorese people.

Solution

The proposed World Bank financed project is supporting the core network development program by investing in the key 110 km north-south corridor: Dili-Ainaro. The road connects three districts – Dili, Aileu and Ainaro – which jointly account for 32 percent of country’s population. The improvements are being done in two phases, first focusing on urgent road repairs where it is most severely damaged, the second working on the overall road; bringing in improvements to pavement, drainage and other environmental protection measures. Consultations along the corridor were carried out and confirmed broad community support for the project.

Results

The first step involved essential emergency works for seven (7) risks location for landslide, erosion and flooding along the road and these were completed in February 2013 and it help the transport movements during the rainy season.

Additional Financing for the project was approved in October 2013 in the amount of a US$25 million IDA credit and a US$15 million IBRD loan. This allowed the scale up of the project to upgrade the entire 110km road corridor

Activities commenced on mid-2014 on the whole road upgrade.

Accessing the market in the capital Dili during the rainy season was a real hardship. Due to bad roads caused by landslides and flooding, people lack basic access.

Tomas Soares Local truck driver living in Ainaro

Bank Contribution

The project was initially funded under a grant from the International Development Association to the value of US$20 million. Additional financing of $40m from the World Bank's IDA ($25m) and IBRD ($15m) was approved in October 2013, The Government of Timor-Leste will fund $50m for the project.

Partners

The project will be implemented by the Timor-Leste Ministry of Public Works. The World Bank financed project will support the core network development program by investing in the key 110 km north-south corridor: Dili-Aituto. Donors are rehabilitating national, district and rural roads, often with a focus on labor based activities for employment generation. The ADB are financing investments along the north of the country to the west of Dili and JICA are proposing investments east from Dili to Baucau, the European Union (EU) has investments in rural and district roads currently under implementation.

Moving Forward

The additional financing will be used for construction work to provide asphalt pavement, and stabilize slope structures along the Dili-Ainaro corridor, as well as improve drainage. Making road sections more climate resilient will reduce the number of emergency incidents and reduce the overall costs of keeping the road in good condition through the year. The funding will also support feasibility studies and detailed design for possible future road improvements associated with the road corridor. Extended routine and emergency maintenance contracts will be implemented and strengthened through training of MPW staff and local contractors.

Beneficiaries

Tomas Soares is a local truck driver living in Ainaro. “Accessing the market in the capital Dili during the rainy season was a real hardship. Due to bad roads caused by landslides and flooding, people lack basic access. This year the road condition has already improved in some very important parts such as Aitutu where almost every year has washed out by the rain.”